Elderly Gambian writer launches books

Alhaji A.M. Sering Secka, an elderly writer, recently launched three books at the Alliance Franco Gambia, with some yet to be published.

The books launched tell the history of Banjul Central Mosque Imams and Bilals, the Tragedy of Masanneh Ceesay and Three short plays; Fippu of Pakala and two others.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, the author, Alhaji Sering, added that he had written some more books that are yet to be published.

He disclosed that it was Hassoum Ceesay, who encouraged him to publish it, adding that to publish a book does not mean “you have to be an erudite.”

He urged young people to venture into writing, saying that even people who are in their dotage write, citing former President Dawda Jawara as an example of someone who had authored a book at the age of 86.

Mr Secka challenged the youth to write, pointing out that in 1990, at the early stage of HIV and Aids, he wrote a book to sensitize people about HIV and Aids that it was a killer disease.

Hassoum Ceesay, the director of copyright at the National Council for Arts and Culture, told the gathering that the lingering question is, whether Gambians are reading, and not whether Gambians are writing.

He advanced that the writer needs audience, which is the readership.

Ceesay encourages Gambians to buy and read books authored by Gambians because if they the writers failed to tell Gambian history, it would be idea remain untold, or foreigners would tell it in a way “we would not like.”